Ablation Of Cataractous Lens Tissue With Carbon Dioxide Laser Radiation

Abstract

Ablation of cataractous human eye lens tissue with carbon dioxiqe laser beam of wave-length 10.6 μm is investigated at power densities upto 20 KW/cm2 with interaction time in the rnge of 4-20 msec. It is found that the ablation initiates at a fluence of about 26 J/cm2 and thereafter the ablated volume of the tissue increases with the laser fluence with a decreasing slope. A well defined zone of coagulation necrosis borders the laser ablated region and its width increases with the power density and interaction time of the laser beam. From the thermal behaviour of the cataractous lens tissue, it is found that at the onset of ablation, tissue attains a temperature of about 270°C. To confine this temperature to a reasonably small volume, short duration laser pulses will be ideal for ablating the cataractous lens.© (1989) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.